


How Does Your Garden Grow?

by saltylikecrait



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Gardens & Gardening, Plants, Post-Canon, That's Not How The Force Works, maybe it is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-12
Updated: 2020-05-12
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:01:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24140062
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltylikecrait/pseuds/saltylikecrait
Summary: In their new home, Finn and Rey find peace in their garden.
Relationships: Finn/Rey (Star Wars)
Comments: 12
Kudos: 29
Collections: Finnrey Fanfic Connection





	How Does Your Garden Grow?

Finn hummed to himself as he raked at the soil. From years of disuse, the garden outside his new home was unkept and in need of care. He hadn’t the first clue of how to garden, but he was following a step-by-step beginner’s guide on his datapad to try to figure it out. The first step he was taking, was to till the hardened earth until he brought up soft soil.

The air of Ibaar was fresh and cool. The forests and the mountains that surrounded brought a unique, clear scent carried by the wind. Finn had always been told that under the New Republic, the planet had suffered famine. The First Order couldn’t have been farther from the truth. The world and its inhabitants thrived, and though there was plenty of food to go around, a family garden was traditional.

It took two years before he could retire from the Resistance. With the First Order as good as gone, Poe told Finn that it was okay to leave and finally start an actual life for himself. Poe could finish up on his own. 

This time, Rey went with him, a course set for a world they had scouted out a year before. It was peaceful and quiet and not a place many would go to if they were searching for the Jedi Master and the former Resistance General. The home they bought with money they had saved over time was modest, but for them, it was almost palatial. A comfortable mattress to sleep on, a kitchen to cook in, running water and working plumbing. Neither of them had ever had much, so they didn’t think they would need anything more than what the house offered. They were a little out of the way from the nearest town, but not too far if they needed to buy supplies. It was a perfect location for them.

He must have been outside for about an hour when Rey came out, a large envelope tucked under her arm.

“Mail’s here,” she told him. “Connix sent us something…”

Finn patted the dry dirt off on his pants before he went over to her. “What is it?”

“Looks like packets of seed, I think. Her note says Poe told her we had a garden and she did some research on what might grow here.” Tilting the envelope, a couple of smaller packets slid out. Finn reached to take a few from Rey’s hand and inspect the contents.

“Food plants!” he exclaimed. “Lettuce. Turnips. Carrots. Potatoes…”

“Peas. Broccoli. Horseradish and mint,” Rey finished for him.

Suddenly, he was excited. This covered most of the basics for vegetables, except tomato, but if Connix had done her research, she might have found tomato plants wouldn’t do very well out here. He appreciated everything she gave them.

Frowning, he looked down at the soil beds. “I’m not sure where to start,” he admitted.

Rey shrugged. “Maybe we’ll figure out which is the easiest to grow and start there?” she suggested.

So, they went to research, finding that lettuce and carrots were recommended for beginner gardens. Each day, they worked on clearing the field of weeds, tilling the soil, fertilizer, and planning for a long-term seasonal garden. To start with, they only planted a few seeds as tests and saved the rest. It wouldn’t do to waste them all at once if they messed up.

Which is exactly what happened.

Two weeks after sowing, they came out in the morning to find their tiny sprouts brown and molding. Scratching their heads, they studied the soil to figure out where they went wrong.

“I have an idea,” Rey suddenly said. “Perhaps the Force can help us.”

Finn chuckled. “Is that how the Force works?” It was an honest question. With all that was going on with the remainder of the Second Galactic Civil War, he hadn’t had much time to study the Force the way he would have liked. Now, he had all the time in the world, provided he and Rey got their daily chores done.

She closed her eyes. He watched her face, wondering what she was seeing in her mind’s eye. “The Force surrounds and runs through every living thing,” she explained. “I’ve been able to see people who are sick and dying when on the outside, they look fine. Perhaps, for plants, I can do something similar.”

Staying quiet for a moment, Finn took the time to appreciate the serene look that spread along her face. He tried to focus on the plant himself, but all he could sense was the last strands of life within the sprouts and felt guilty for causing them to suffer.

“Overwatered,” Rey spoke. “I think.”

And they tried again. They had once been told that failure was the greatest teacher. So many people they knew gave up after failing – Rey was still bitter about this, more so than Finn, who had since learned to let the past go. It was important to to them to kept trying.

As the sprouts raised from the soil, Rey started to consult through the Force to figure out what she needed. She tried to talk Finn through the steps, but he still wasn’t getting much beyond if they were alive or not. With more time and practice, he would figure it out, she assured him. 

A month later, the first heads of lettuce were ready for harvest. The carrots were growing, but needed more time. Already, the duo was feeling more confident in their skills and planning out the next crops they would grow as the season turned.

The bright, genuine smile that Rey had on her face when she cut away their first head of lettuce made Finn feel warm inside. 

“We grew this,” she said in awe as they looked the vegetable over. Healthy and leafy, it was exactly what they wanted to see.

They certainly did.

Both carrying the basket of lettuce heads, one hand on each side of the handle, the new gardeners, finally successful, went home to enjoy their fruits – err… _veggies_ \- of their labor.


End file.
